A Snowflake's Tale
by Sagittarian's Bow
Summary: The next generation of Sohma's begins with Yuki's first born, Kohana. Life still does not come so easy, even though the family curse has long since been broken. Can she overcome her obstacles and find what love truly is? OC's. Please R&R!
1. Golden Snow

**Chapter One**

The sun was setting on a frigid mid-December evening, two onlookers standing there, admiring their view. The pure white, untouched snow, having been brightened by the sun's golden rays, made its final presence known until morning was to come. Smiling brightly, a young girl stood beside her mother, pointing out to the emanating light before them.

"Look, mommy! The sky is so bright over the snow!" bounced the little girl cheerfully.

"The sky is happy, dear." said the woman, kneeling down beside her daughter and grinning, tapping the child's tiny button nose, the pair's skin slightly reddened by the crisp air.

"Then it must be a very happy sky, mommy! It's glowing!" she grinned, catching her mother's hand playfully before she could retrieve it.

Laughing, the mother pulled her daughter into a tight embrace, swaying them back and forth freely, "My, my…I think my little girl has turned into an ice cube."

"I have not!" she giggled, pulling away and hiding her cheeks beneath her mittened hands.

Smiling warmly, the mother brought herself to her feet; her long auburn hair spreading out across her back as she moved her hand around the little girl's. Turning her head in the direction towards a warm, cozy looking, house, she smiled down at her daughter again, "Ready to go inside, dear? Before we _both_ turn into human ice cubes?"

Closing the door behind them, the two step into a cozy hallway. Tugging off her gloves and shoving them into her coat pockets, a voice called from the nearest room down the hall, "Akako? Kohana? Is that you?"

"Daddy!" exclaimed the little girl, running down the hall and slamming into the legs of her father as he appeared in the doorway.

"Back so soon?" he asked, kneeling down to Kohana, the color of his deep violet eyes matching hers rather closely, though her hair matched that of her mother's only slightly paler.

"We've been gone nearly an hour, daddy!" Kohana giggled.

Hanging her coat, hat, and scarf on the rack by the door, Akako walked over to her husband and daughter in the doorway and kneeled down as well, trying to maneuver around Kohana's attempts to get away as her coat and hat were removed as well. Akako leaned over her daughter's head, being met halfway by Yuki, placing a warm, gentle, kiss upon one another's lips.

Blinking and ducking further beneath her parents joint faces, Kohana placed her hands out on either side of herself below their necks, trying to separate them, "Eewie! Not with me in the middle!" she whined.

Akako laughed as she and Yuki pulled away. A small smirk appeared across Yuki's pale face as he watched his wife take Kohana into a bear hug, knocking them both to the floor entirely as she began to tickle their daughter's sides. The living room was soon filled with laughter, shrieks, and giggles as Akako was soon overpowered by both Yuki and Kohana, being tickled and tickling back once she pinned down Kohana, tickling their daughter and trying to squirm around her while being tickled by Yuki.

The three of them laid sprawled and curled out across the living room floor, smiling brightly, their chests heaving from their bursts of laughter only minutes before, "Well…that was fun," Akako stated, ending their pleasant silence, ", but if the rumbling in my stomach is correct, it is time for dinner."

Leaning over Kohana while bringing the thick violet blanket up around her tiny form, Akako kissed her daughter's forehead gently, smiling down at her. Yuki appeared beside Akako, wrapping his strong arm across her back and resting it around her waist, gripping her hip firmly. She leaned her head against his shoulder, gazing down at their only child, sound asleep.

Yuki and Akako turned and left Kohana's room, closing the door gently behind them and heading down the hall to their room. Changing into her pajamas and plopping down onto the bed, Yuki turned over, still fully dressed in his daily clothes minus his socks and shoes, draping an arm over Akako's stomach.

"Did you two enjoy yourselves today?" he asked in a tired voice, glancing down at her.

"Of course, you know how little Hana loves visiting her Uncle Momiji. And now that it is winter, the walk home is much more exciting for her. She seems to love the snow more than spring flowers." She grinned, leaning up and kissing his cheek softly.

"I do hope he went easy on her in the snowball fight…"

"How did you know about the fight?"

"You cannot go to Momiji's home during winter and not end up leaving without at least one snowball fight." He smirked, "Especially with that army of children he and Yulii keep on adding to."

"They only have four, love." She chuckled.

"Five, if you count the one currently taking residence in her whom."

"Still, that is nothing in comparison to the number of cousins you have."

"Yes, but they are not all from the same parents. I believe they will be catching up to that number at the rate they are going." He added smoothly, leaning down and placing a light kiss on her forehead.

"You make it sound as if having a few children is a crime, love." She said, searching his eyes.

"I did not say that now did I?" he grinned down to her mischievously.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, she reached up and laid her hand on his cheek, "Now what is that look for?"

He simply smiled and shook his head, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. She brought her arms up around his neck and pulled him down a bit closer, locking their lips together, not wanting him to pull away.


	2. Doctor's Words

**Chapter Two**

"Are you positive?" Akako pursued, sitting at the dining room table with the phone to her ear, her arm propping up her head as the voice on the other end spoke again.

"Yes, Mrs. Sohma. Quite positive. I have the results right here. Our tests never lie. You _are_ pregnant." The woman repeated.

Nodding softly and taking a deep breath, Akako thanked the woman and hung up, laying her head on the table with a thud, mumbling into her arm, "How am I going to tell him…?"

"Tell me what?" inquired Yuki, walking out of the kitchen with a plate of crackers and a glass of water. He set them on the table in front of his wife and kissed the top of her head gently, "Feeling any better, my dear? Was that the doctor just now?"

She sat up slowly and nodded, "Yes, that was the doctor. But in regards towards my stomach, no. It is still in knots."

He kneeled down beside her, resting his hand over hers comfortingly, "What did the doctor say? Is there anything you need?" he asked worriedly.

Trying to form a smile, she gazed down at her husband. Faint bags could be seen under his concerned eyes, knowing he hadn't had much sleep in the past week as she had been tossing and turning throughout the nights with sleeplessness and nausea, "I'm fine, love. Really. "

"What did the doctor say?" he asked again.

Taking in another deep breath, she entwined their fingers, gazing down into his caring, gentle, eyes, "Well…when I had gone to the clinic, they did some blood work to try and find the source of my illness, only…I am not ill."

"If you are not ill then please, what _is_ the problem?" he pressed.

"Well….I…I'm pregnant." She blurted, watching his eyes go wide and face become blank. "I'm so sorry, love!" she cried out, noticing his reaction.

He stood and brought her to her feet as well, wrapping his arms around her tightly and resting his chin atop her head, gently rubbing her back, "You have no reason to apologize, my dear. Another child is…well, quite unexpected, but I see no reason to be upset. Having a first child is a brilliant adventure, but having a second child, that is a blessing. To have two wonderful children and a beautiful, amazing wife…I must be truly blessed."

"I love you." She mumbled into his chest, eyes swelling up with tears.

"I love you too, my dear Akako."

"So, how far along is she?" asked Shigure with a grin.

Yuki sighed, readjusting himself on his cousin's sofa, knowing the conversation couldn't be avoided for long because that's just how Shigure was, Just as he was about to speak, Shigure's fiancé, Matsu, walked into the room, placing a tray of snacks onto the table and smiling, "Yes, how far along is she?"

"About a month now, according to her doctor." Yuki nodded, "We won't learn its gender though for another two months."

Just then, a little boy walked into the room, about the same size as Kohana only slightly taller. He walked over to Matsu and tugged on her arm by her elbow, "Mommy, the baby's awake." He rubbed his eyes tiredly and she kneeled down, picking him up in her arms and looking to Shigure and Yuki.

"If you'll excuse me, duty calls." She smiled, "It was nice of you to stop by, Yuki. Be sure to say hello to Akako for me." She waved, walking out of the room with her pajama'd son in arm.

Smiling after the two, he looked back to Shigure and sighed tiredly, getting to his feet and straightening out his shirt, "I'd best be on my way. Don't want to keep Akako up waiting for me. She needs the rest,"

"Alright then, kiddo. Be sure she actually gets that rest though. Don't need any late nights now do we?" he winked.

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes, smirked, and left, bundled up in his coat and the hat Akako had gotten him.


	3. Character Map

**Character Map**

Okay, guys. This is just to keep you all up to date, seeing as how there was so many characters to the original anime and with adding on even more people for spouses and children, things can get a bit confusing when the family gets together and names are being spouted out left and right.

**Yuki Sohma & Akako Sohma:**

Kohana (F) 9

Jiro (M)

**Shigure Sohma & Matsu Sohma**

Joey (M) 9

Mika (F) 2

Kain (M)

Anata (F)

Makani (M)

Runa (F)

Moriko (F)

**Kyo Sohma & Tohru Sohma**

Kyru (M) 11

**Momiji Sohma & Yulii Sohma**

Hano (M) 11

Kin (M) 10

Masa (F) 7

Michi (F) 6

Midori & Mamoru (F & M)

Ryozo (M)

Nara (F)

**Haru Sohma & Rin Sohma**

Satoko (F) 6

**Hiro Sohma & Kisa Sohma**

Shino (F) 3

Sumi (F) 2

Taku (M) 1

**Ritsu Sohma & Kagura Sohma**

Rei, Rori & Ren (F, F & F) 9

**Hatori Sohma & Kana Sohma**

Yumiko (F) 10

Yutaka (M)

**Ayame Sohma & Kureno Sohma**

(none)


	4. Snow Wars

**Chapter Three**

Akako laid in bed watching television, little Kohana curled up at her side sound asleep as Yuki walked through the door, pale cheeks colored pink from the cold outside. He stepped up beside the bed and sat on the edge by his wife, placing a chilled hand atop her stomach and smiling down at her.

"How are you feeling, my dear?" he asked in his usual softened tone.

Smiling, she placed her hand over his, instantly sending a warming sensation throughout his hand and up his arm, "I'm much better, love." She entwined their fingers and sat up a bit more, leaning her form against the headboard, "Haru and Rin stopped by not long ago. They dropped off some leek porridge and fish stew Rin had made."

"Leek porridge? Perfect for this weather." He smiled, glancing over to his daughter and getting to his feet, "I had better put her to bed." He nodded to himself and walked around to the other side of the bed so he wouldn't have to lean over Akako to pick up their daughter.

"Leave her. Just for tonight, love? She looks so peaceful…it would be a shame to wake her." She said sweetly.

A faint grin on his face, he nodded and kicked off his boots. Removing his socks, followed by his shirt, he crawled under the blankets and clicked off the television and then the light, lying on his side, facing Kohana, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Yuki awoke the next morning as the sun filtered into the room through the blinds. He rolled onto his back, eyes still closed, stretching out his arms over his head and letting out a large yawn. Slowly opening his eyes and adjusting to the brightness of the room, he sat up and pulled on a black button-down shirt. He stood and fixed the blankets and pillows, aligning them all just right before buttoning his shirt and running a hand through his shoulder-length hair, straightening it out a bit to reduce his bed-head.

He stepped into the living room, having heard an unusual amount of commotion. As he opened the doors to the room's double-doorway, he was almost trampled over by a herd of children clad in winter coats, hats, mittens and boots. Grasping onto the door's frame for balance, the children ran down the hall and out the front door, seeming to dive right into the snow.

"Good morning, love. Did we wake you?" asked Akako with a bright smile, motioning him towards her where she sat on the sofa.

Momiji was by the corner in the armchair, Yulii perched on his lap, and Ritsu and Kagura sat on the opposite side of the sofa from Akako, tea in hand.

"Still a late sleeper, eh, Yuki?" Kagura joked, peering out the window just as Rori and Ren tackled Rei into a snow bank, a chuckle escaping her lips.

"Seems as if the girls are as brutal as you, Kagura." Commented Momiji in a bubbly tone.

"As brutal as I _use_ to be at least. Back when I had that 'thing' for Kyo. That man brought the worst out in me." She replied, shooting an angry glare to her cousin who only smiled gracefully and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist.

----------------------------------

Kohana squealed and giggled as Kin picked her up and dumped her into the powdery snow, only to be tripped by her kicking and falling in along with her. They laid there, panting heavily, cheeks bright from the cold as their other cousins run around screaming, enjoying their day in the snow.

"Having…fun?" Kin panted, propping up his head and glancing over to her.

Nodding happily with a bright smile, she placed a hand over her heart, "Yeah. Maybe…we should…take a break…" she said almost breathlessly.

Nodding in agreement and taking her hand, Kin lifted them both back to their feet and headed back towards the house. Once in the hallway, the two children removed their winter-wear and walked down to the kitchen for some hot chocolate. They sat at the dining room table in stocking-feet, sipping at their warm drinks and giggling every now and then.

Akako walked into the room where the children were currently taking residence and picked up the phone, smiling over at them she walked into the kitchen and hopped up onto the counter. Swinging her legs back and forth, she dialed a number and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello, Shigure. It's Akako." She greeted, Rin and Kohana overhearing from the next room.

"Why do you think Uncle Shigure and Aunt Matsu aren't here yet? They're normally the first ones to arrive aren't they?" Kin questioned in a whisper.

Shrugging and taking another sip of her hot chocolate, she hopped out of her chair and crept over to the door to the kitchen, standing up against the dining room wall to try and listen more closely to her mother's conversation.

"Oh…" she heard her mother voice. "How far? Well that's great! Congratulations, Shigure. No, do not worry about it. I'll let everyone know. You too. Good bye."

Rather confused, she ran back over to Kin and grabbed his arm, dragging him off his chair and out into the hall. Up the stairs they went, running the whole way until they came to her room and she slammed the door shut behind them, letting him go.

"What was _that_ about?" he asked in an annoyed voice.

"From the sounds of it….Uncle Shigure…and Aunt Matsu…aren't coming this time." She breathed.

"What? Why not?" he pursued, sitting in the window seat and glancing out at their cousins down below, still thrashing around in the snow.

"I'm not sure. All I got was a 'How far?' and a 'Congratulations!' "She said, plopping onto the floor in front of the window and leaning her back against the seat.

"Maybe Aunt Matsu is having a baby?" he suggested, looking down at her instead.

"Another?" she blinked, turning to look up at him. "But that still doesn't explain why they are not coming. If Aunt Matsu _is_ pregnant then why not come and tell everyone in person?"

He shrugged, reaching his hand down to her and pulling her up to the window seat as well, "They could have to go to the doctor's? Financial planning…something like that."

She sighed and leaned against the window, staring down at the floor blankly. Kin looked at her as if she were an alien, "Why is it so important to you that they _do_ come?"

She shook her head and brought her knees up onto the seat, hugging them to her chest and resting her cheek against them.

"Tell me?" he asked gently, nudging her arm.

------------------------------------

Walking back into the living room and squeezing in a seat beside Yuki, she looked around the room and waited for the men to finish their conversation.

"So," Yulii interrupted, "What did Shigure have to say about missing out on the fun?"

"Well…"Akako began, "He actually has a good excuse this time."

"It's not because of another late manuscript is it?" Ritsu asked tiredly.

Akako shook her head and smiled to herself, taking her husband's hand in hers and leaning against the back of the couch, "Matsu is pregnant. They were on their way here when she mentioned the fact that she did not feel too well. Shigure brought her to the hospital because she was feeling dizzy and they did a few tests. Shigure is ecstatic of course, but didn't want to bring Matsu out if she was ill and didn't want to leave her home alone, so they won't be coming today. But they send their regards."

"At this rate, they'll be caught up to Momiji in no time!" chuckled Kagura, filling the room with laughter as the others too joined in.

----------------------------------

Sighing, she lifted her head and leaned it back against the window, "Joey was going to come. I love it when Joey visits us. I don't know why, but I'm always looking forward to it. But he's not coming this time."

"You'll see him in school won't you? Once winter break is over?" he asked, resting his hand on her arm for support.

She nodded, switching her gaze to him, "It's just felt so long since I have seen him. Remember, he was sick the last week before our break, so it's been three weeks since I saw him last."

"Sounds kind of selfish if you ask me." He grimaced.

"Yeah…" she nodded, burying her head in her arms.

Watching her, he felt a knot in his chest. At a loss for words, all he could do was wrap an arm around her and rub her back a bit, " 'Hana…" he whispered, watching as she lifted her head and looked over at him, her violet eyes filled with tears. Feeling tears of his own swell up into his thin green eyes, he swallowed hard, fighting them back. He wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her small form into a tight hug, his voice unusually soft, "I'm sorry…"


	5. Hormonal Preteens?

**Chapter Four**

"Kohana? Kin? Are you two up there?" called Akako up the staircase, her voice echoing off the thin walls.

Blinking and lifting up his head as the sound of his aunt, he reluctantly released his grip on Kohana and exited her room, appearing at the top of the stairs, trying to fake a smile for her, "We got bored with the snow so me and Kohana are looking for something else to do." He explained, hoping his aunt would believe him.

Watching his expressions carefully, she nodded and released the railing, stepping down onto the floor and smiling kindly, "Alright then. Just try not to make a mess up there. You two tend to be quite brutal with one another."

"We won't, Aunt Akako." He assured and headed back towards Kohana's room, knowing it surely was not boredom that was troubling them.

--------------------------------------

Kin watched from his seat at the lunch table, the following week at school, with a glare as Joey walked up behind Kohana where she sat, one table down, with Rei, Rori, and Ren. He clenched his fists slightly when suddenly Joey leaned over her shoulder and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, setting a white carnation down on the table in front of her.

Her face drew into an instant blush, a faint yet pleased smile playing across her lips as she reached out and ran her fingers along the flower's stem, "I apologize for not making it to the snow war." He heard Joey say, "Mother was ill and father was terribly worried. Seems she is having a baby…"

"_So I was right."_ He thought, diverting his gaze quickly as Kohana glanced over at him from her table, causing him to grin in satisfaction, _"And she knows it too." _

"It- it's alright, Joey." Kin heard her stammer, "We had a feeling that was the case."

Nodding with a smile, Joey turned and walked back to his group of friends across the lunch room. Just as he was out of sight, Rei, Rori, and Ren burst into simultaneous spurts of laughter and giggles, Kohana soon joining in as well.

Squeezing her way out from between her triplet cousins, Kohana snuck over to Kin's side as his eyes were locked on something in another direction, "Kin?" she asked, watching him nearly jump out of his skin as he whipped around, letting out a deep sigh of relief as he saw who it was who'd startled him.

"Have fun over there with our dear cousin Joey?" he asked, trying to sound bored while flicking a carrot slice from his tray, glancing up at her.

"Kin, remember how I said I always look forward to Joey's visits?" she questioned, watching him nod and glance back to his tray, " Well…I thought about it over the weekend, and I finally figured out why. See…I've always been an only child, well until recently…sort of…anyways…Joey has so many siblings that thinking of him as a brother, means his siblings are my own. And since he's close to my age, it's almost like having a twin brother. You know?"

Blinking a bit, he looked up at her, "A brother? From the way you were crying it sounded like…"

"Like what?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing…forget I said anything…"

"Oh. Well, alright." She got up and started back to her table, stopping briefly, "Kin?"

"Yeah?" he asked, mentally kicking himself in his stupid little head.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come over after school today?" she asked him, her eyes downcast to her foot scuffing at the floor.

A sudden smile plastered itself across Kin's face, he couldn't believe it, was she giving him a chance? She just basically apologized for her behavior and the words she spoke of Joey, giving him the completely wrong idea. So…does that mean she actually _is_ giving him a chance?

"Uh, yeah! Sure! No problem 'Hana!" he exclaimed.

"Really?" she smiled sweetly.

"Yeah. So…I'll meet you outside your class at the end of the day then?"

Nodding, she smiled to herself triumphantly and walked back to her table and her awaiting triplet cousins.

---------------------------------------------

By the end of the day, only a few minutes remained until the long school day would end and Kohana would meet with Kin. Anxiously waiting, she tapped her pencil eraser against the desk, her foot fidgeting as she stared out the window, not seemingly able to keep her limbs still.

"_Am I really that nervous? But…why? It's only Kin, I'm only his cousin, it's not like he's never been over before. So there's no reason I should be nervous…right_?" she sighed to herself, gripping onto her pencil in hopes to calm her nerves down just a notch.

Sure enough, the bell chimed and all the students of the school packed up their belongings and filtered out of their classes, voices flooding the halls as the children met up with friends, talking about anything they could to ease their minds from the exhausting school day.

Surprisingly, Kohana looked around as she gathered her things, noticing she was in fact the last one in the room. Even the teacher was gone, "_Probably just out to supervise the others in the halls._" She thought.

Just as she was about to exit the room to go find Kin, she slammed into something, or was it someone? She couldn't quite tell, having been knocked to the ground, her books scattering out on the floor beside her. Rubbing her head, she felt two strong hands grasp onto her arms and lift her back to her wobbly feet. Stumbling slightly, she opened her eyes to look up at who had caused her fall; standing before her, arms on hers, was none other than the person she had anticipated most, Kin.

A faint blush coloring her cheeks, he smiled down at her, blushing a bit himself. He kneeled down and gathered her books neatly in his arms, standing back up and tucking them under his arm, "Sorry 'bout that, 'Hana. Are you alright?"

Nodding up at him, her face only reddened more as he used her short name. "_Few people call me that…_" she noted, "_But people do tend to call me by that name…so why am I blushing now that Kin is using it?_" she gulped and motioned to her books, but he only shook his head, signaling that he had them and that she was not to argue.

He reached down and hesitantly touched the edge of her cheek, noticing her blushing; his breath caught and stomach turned into knots, "_What is she doing to me?_" he wondered, noticing that she only blushed more at his gesture.

----------------------------------------------

Walking down the hall back towards the classroom, he stopped, hearing a rather quiet conversation being held within the room. Seeming to recognize the voices and concurring that they did not belong to any teachers or other adults, he stepped into the doorway and stopped in his tracks. There they were, Kin and Kohana, _his_ Kohana, with Kin holding her books, stroking her cheek, making her blush.

Shocked, angered, and even a bit hurt, he tried to play it cool, not wanting to upset his Kohana. He leaned his slender form against the doorway casually and crossed his arms over his chest, perking up a brow seemingly curious, he cleared his throat, catching their attention.

"And what do we have here?" he asked, eyeing the two.

Jumping back a little, Kohana found herself back in reality, turning her head to see Joey, she felt her heart sink down into her stomach.

"Kohana asked me to accompany her to her house, Joey. I'm helping with her books, does that bother you?" he glared.

"Not in the least. I'm glad you've finally matured enough to be a gentleman towards our dearest cousin. She doesn't need all those bruises from your rough-housing, childish, behavior." He grinned, nodding at Kohana, "Mind if I tag along? I forgot a book in my desk and came to get it, of course the busses are already gone, father is working and I would hate to burden my pregnant mother to come all the way out here to bring me home."

His anger apparent in his features, Kin lowered his head and sighed, knowing Kohana would not allow a cousin, a "brother", to be left at the school until his father could find the time to come get him.

------------------------------------------

"Joey dear, would you mind helping me with this?" Akako asked, nodding over to the cutting board on the counter as the boy walked into the kitchen. Though he was only nine, he was taller than his ten year old cousin, Kin, and was also better with knives, surprisingly. His father being a writer and his mother not being that great of a cook, he seemed to have developed skills all his own, though he did seem to inherit his father's whim and love of women.

"Of course, Aunt Akako." He replied with a grin, mentally cursing his pregnant aunt, picking up the knife and slicing at the freshly washed leeks Akako had placed down for him, "You are looking quite lovely this evening if I might add." He grinned at her chuckle and mumble of thanks as she nibbled at a slice of leek she stole from the cutting board.

He had only suggested that he leave to get himself and his cousins a drink so that he could leave the two alone, hoping to catch them touching or a conversation even so that he could work his charm, hopefully upset Kin enough to leave, or perhaps to simply leave his Kohana alone.

----------------------------------------------

W00t! I promised myself to do an Author's Note once I actually finished Chapter Four. Major brain cramp halfway through, then problems occured with our hot water tank so I had to camp out at a friend's, who unfortunately has no internet, just to be able to bathe. xx It's finally up though! Yay for me. 3 **Please review!**

** KiNeU**


	6. Love, Tears, and a Little Bloodshed

**Chapter Five**

Upstairs in Kohana's room, Kin and the cheery young girl sat on her floor, his eyes glued on her, hidden behind the current book in his hands, as she laid on her stomach, her legs swinging freely in the air, attention caught up in her drawing.

"_Grr…just…don't look at her! Joey will be back any minute! Stop watching her! She's only drawing…though it does seem to be quite a good job so far…Agh! Stop! Read your book and just pretend like she's not there!_" Kin thought viciously, fighting with himself.

Kohana glanced up from her drawing to look at the door, half expecting Joey to have returned already. Not finding him there, she looked over at Kin instead, watching his face carefully as his eyes darted down onto the pages of his book, pretending to be reading, "_Shoot! She saw me! Now she's going to think I'm some sort of freakish stalking pervert! Gr-_" his thoughts were cut short as he felt something touch his shoulder.

He lowered his book and looked up from the pages, his thin emerald eyes meeting those deep pools of violet. A faint blush came to his slightly tanned cheeks as he locked eyes with Kohana who was sitting right in front of him, holding his shoulder with a look of concern apparent on her pale face. He felt the temperature rise in his cheeks. She was so close, so very close, so close that he couldn't help but reach out slowly and rest his hand on her cheek, causing her violet eyes to flutter closed under his touch.

He noted how much he loved the color of her eyes, the feel of her soft skin under his palm. He ran his hand down to her chin smoothly, finding himself inching closer and closer to her until, finally, their lips met. Her soft violet eyes flew open, staring deep into his. She didn't know what to do, searching her mind left her at a loss, so, she gave in to the pounding in her heart and moved her lips against his.

As he watched her eyes flutter closed once again, he smiled to himself and released her chin, moving his long arm around and resting it across her back to move her just a bit closer. He pressed back against her lips, exciting a childish giggle from her and into his mouth. "_Does this mean she's mine?_" he asked himself, "_Not Joey's, but mine? But…Joey did already claim her. The flower proved as much. She only thinks of him as a brother though. Said so herself. This is the proof. All the proof I need at least. She is mine. All mine. Forever…_"

A crash came from the doorway, ending Kin's thoughts and the pair pulled away from each other quickly, their eyes darting to the door and widening with shock. There stood Joey, a tray and a few empty cups astray on the floor, their contents sinking into the wood beneath them. His chocolaty brown eyes narrowed in anger and his hands clenched fistfuls of his jeans as he stormed into the room and grabbed onto Kohana's arm, ripping the frightened girl up to her feet. His arm snaked its way around her waist and held her to him, hip to hip. Joey glared down at Kin with a deep hate lingering in his dark eyes.

Joey turned and walked out of the room, holding Kohana tightly at his side. Closing her bedroom door softly behind them, Joey turned his raging gaze to Kohana, standing in the hall dumbfounded and frightened. He smiled evilly and took her hand, shoving her back against a wall and leaning over her, his hand slamming the wall directly beside her head. Though the two were the same age, Joey's height made him seem to tower over the poor girl, only making him all the more intimidating.

Trembling with fear, she could only stare up at him, pressing her small form into the wall, wishing she could sink into it just as the drinks and sunk into the floorboards. But sadly enough, she was mere human, not liquid, not air, and she was there, standing before him in fear instead of sinking away from him, hiding from her fear swelling up inside her seemingly tiny form.

"And what do you think you were doing, dear 'Hana?" he finally spoke, not in an angry tone, but a rather calm one considering the situation, though his eyes clearly stated otherwise. "Kissing little Kin in there while_ I _was being generous enough to bring the two of you nourishment." He gazed down at her through his darkened eyes, lifting a strand of her auburn hair in between his fingers and allowing it to drop against her pale cheek. "Now, why would you do something like that? Why would you betray me?"

"I…I…" she stammered, not a single thought coming to her mind, fear stricken.

"You, what?" he asked, his tone becoming more harsh, "You should be glad I did not harm you little lover boy in there. I thought about it, but came to the decision that I did not wish to upset you so badly, as I do care for your well being..." He raised his hand to her cheek, causing her to flinch, awaiting the blow she knew was coming her way, but it didn't. He simply ran a finger down the side of her face and pressed his lips forcingly against hers, pinning her arms against the wall to reduce any chance of her getting away.

She grunted against his lips and tried pushing him away, only squishing herself up against the wall even more as a result. She felt sick to her stomach, it was like kissing a brother, only worse. She was petrified, knowing that she was nowhere near as strong as he was but unknowing of what he was planning in that twisted young mind of his. She began shaking, the sickness in her stomach rising throughout her fragile young body. In her mind she wanted to get away, but physically she was stuck there in his grasp, so she did all she could think to do at the moment, kissed him back.

As sickening as it was, she fought her way through it, knowing it took him off guard but also knowing it would be her only way of not suffering from a slap once he was finished. Nervous and ill to her stomach, she slipped slightly as he loosened his grip in surprise, causing her to bite onto his lip deeply, blood trickling down his chin as he yanked back screaming. His hand flew up to his lip to swipe away the blood, his eyes flicking up to hers angrily, fury deep within them. He raised his arm and smashed it across her face, fiercely knocking her to the floor with a loud thud, tears streaming down her pale cheeks mixed with a small amount of blood dripping from the cut splayed across her cheekbone from the impact.

He kneeled down beside her trembling form and stroked down her hair gently, grinning at both himself and the mark on her cheek, "Now let this be a lesson to you, dear 'Hana. You are mine. Only mine. And you are not to be acting like a little tramp, especially not at such an age as this. I'd keep Kin away if I were you, or else he may suffer the consequences next time." He smiled maliciously and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, brushing away a few of her tears and walking off down the hall towards the stairs, leaving the girl sprawled out across the floor of the hall.

Inside Kohana's room. Kin had his ear pressed tightly up against the door. Having heard the heavy steps walking passed, he threw the door open and ran out to Kohana's helpless sobbing self. She clenched her hands into fists tightly as he draped an arm around her, bringing her to her knees and allowing her to nestle into his chest, sobbing uncontrollably against him. He stroked her back gently while his other hand ran itself through her auburn hair which he loved so much.

She shuddered, that sickening feeling remaining in her stomach, "Why…why didn't you come after us?" she spoke weakly, her voice hushed.

"Even if I had, there was nothing I could do, 'Hana. I found out this morning from my father…Akito died." He stated firmly.

"The head of the family?" she questioned, lifting her gaze up to his, "What's that have to do with me and Joey!" she shouted angrily, slamming her fist into his chest.

"Well…Joey was chosen as the new head of the Sohma family. There's nothing we can do. Whatever he says is law. And whatever he wants…he gets."

"Meaning me!" she shouted, fresh tears brimming in her eyes as she clung onto his chest.

He watched her, feeling as if his heart were being torn from his chest and thrown to the ground only to be shattered into a million pieces. He searched his mind for a reply, he knew the answer, but found no words came to him, he could only nod.

-----------------------------------------------

"What!" Akako exclaimed, her voice seeming to crack.

Yuki sighed, tears threatening to fall from his violet eyes as all that was being said to him seemingly filled the air, none of it filtering through his mind, he would not allow it, "_This cannot be happening…it just can't. After what Akito did to me…my daughter will not suffer the same._" He thought.

Akako and Yuki sat across from Hatori and his wife, Kana, as the news a Sohma could fear most was admitted to them. Their first born, their precious daughter, young Kohana, had been requested to move into the Sohma house. Of course they would be permitted to visit, they were family after all, but that was it. Kohana was to stay in the household with the least amount of children, as she was too young to live on her own and the houses were slowly becoming crowded as the Sohmas began to create families of their own. Running through the houses in his mind, Yuki looked up from the spot on the carpet that he had been staring at and right into Hatori's eyes.

"She will…be staying with…my brother?" he asked, a knot of anger tying up in his stomach.

Hatori nodded in response to his friend's question, knowing Ayame was the only member of the Sohma family who did not, or could not, have any children. Not long after the Sohma curse had been broken, it only having been ten years since that fateful day, Ayame found a freedom he had not experienced before, simply joked about. For a long while, he and Kureno had been lovers, though in fear of their head of family, the couple's little secret had to remain a secret. A few members of the family walked in on a passionate kiss one day that was being shared with, none other than, the couple in hiding. News spread quickly throughout the family, though not a word, not even a slight whisper, was ever sent Akito's way. Of course, now that their sickly Head had passed on, Yuki's brother's antics could be spoken of freely.

"Joey has taken Akito's former position I'm afraid. It is at his request that I am here. Kana and I…we are deeply sorry. Just as before, Yuki, there is nothing I can do to stop him. What he says goes." Hatori stated firmly.

Akito may have been a cruel, devious Head, but, deep down, he did have a heart, no matter how frail and sickly it was. Under strict agreement, Akito decided Hatori was allowed to leave the main house, for one month and one only. In that month's time, he was given permission to seek out Kana and win back her heart, if he succeeded, they were allowed to marry, but, Hatori and his new wife were to remain in the main house up until Akito's death, catering to his every whim until his time on this earth was up. Hatori was more than welcome to make the sacrifice for such an outstanding offer to mend his aching heart. It was that very month that the curse on the Sohma family was broken, though with all the businesses, homes, families, and money to take care of, a Head was still desperately needed.

Hatori glanced up at his wife of nine years and allowed himself a faint smile as her hand gripped onto his, encouraging him to continue on with the bad news, knowing it had to be said and done, "We will be taking her to your brother tonight so she will be able to attend a dinner with the Head."

------------------------------------

**Author's Note: **Hey again everyone. God this chapter was difficult to write. I keep trying to make things lengthy but as you can clearly see, it isn't working so well, each chapter gets slightly longer though, so I suppose I'm improving. ) I'd love to hear what you think, and I know these kids are kind of young and all, but **it all works out, the Sohma's seem to mature at a faster rate anyways. xx Please review!**


	7. Not so Distant Memories

**Chapter Six**

Kohana awoke the next morning to the sound of a deep, yet womanly, laugh coming from somewhere outside her room. She yawned squeakily and stretched her slender arms out over her head, curling up her toes and hearing the satisfying crack of her bones, signaling she was all stretched out and ready to roll out of her bed to start the day. Slowly opening her violet eyes and getting adjusted to the brightness of the room, she almost forgot where she was for a brief moment. This room wasn't hers, yet it held her belongings. It was colder than her room and make her feel a bit chilly. It was also larger than her room, even with all the extra furniture, two more windows, and a double doorway which she assumed was a closet.

As she stepped onto the icy cold floorboards, her knee-length night shirt wrinkly falling into place, the memories of the previous day came flooding back into her mind.

Kin had rushed her into the bathroom as quickly as he could, hearing someone approaching up the staircase. He carefully fixed up her cut as best he could, having so many younger siblings he was use to such things and first-aid became second nature to him. His words still echoed through her mind before she was taken away by Hatori and Kana, "I won't let him have you, 'Hana. He has no right to do this to you; I'll take care of you, no matter what." She smiled as the words crossed her mind. Though she may be forced to live with her uncle and his male lover in the Sohma prison called a home, though she may be forced to be closer to Joey, the new Head, she was also closer to Kin, as he lived just down the path from her Uncle Ayame's home on the Sohma estate.

She'd gone to the main house for a dinner party in celebration of the new Head the night before. Joey, of course, sat at the head of the table, and, much to her dismay, Kohana was seated at his very corner, not that she expected anything less from Joey. The entire night, Kohana was not allowed to wander three feet from him; she avoided eye contact with a single person the entire evening, all except for one. She had spotted Kin at a table with his siblings, playing with some cards after the dishes had been cleared, all the men off in a group talking about god knows what, and the women in the opposite corner doing just about the same, though the laughter depicted from the two groups was drastically different.

Joey had retired to his room, not being much of a socially active child. He had given Kohana strict orders to report to him once the "fun" started to die down. She'd noted that her parents were there, they'd waved to her upon entering the home, but stayed clear just to be safe, they knew the Head wouldn't have been too far behind if their daughter was there. She stood and contemplated approaching them in her bit of free time before she had to see Joey, but changed her mind subconsciously once she'd spotted Kin. Stealthily creeping away from her group of female cousins, she snuck over to Kin's table and ducked into the group of ebony and blonde-haired children, obviously belonging to Momiji and his wife. Though she stuck out like a sore thumb due to her reddish hair, she was nearly impossible to pick out from afar as the children completely surrounded the table in a crowd.

Kin smiled warmly once he took sight of Kohana opposite him, receiving a weary smile in return. He watched her carefully as her eyes darted to the hall to the back porch, then back to him, then to the hall again. He excused himself from his siblings and carefully slipped into the shadows of the hall, Kohana soon following behind. Hand in hand, the two disappeared into the darkness of the hall and to the very end where they knew anyone would look for them last, except maybe Joey.

Kohana sighed happily as she dressed in the new clothes that sat in the chair at her desk, folded neatly. "_Uncle Ayame must have made them…_" she pondered, "_It sure is nice though, nothing like what he gave daddy for mommy's birthday presents a couple times. Those looked like they wouldn't really cover much at all. Come to think of it, I never did see mommy wear them, only what they looked like in the shop when daddy picked it up_."

She brushed through her long auburn hair and looked into the beautifully carved mirror which stood on her dresser. Placing down the brush, she leaned in a bit closer and ran a finger down the cut on her cheek where she and Joey had made contact only the day before. A chill shot up her spine at the memory and she quickly shook it off as soon as it came, stepping back and straightening out her violet long sleeve shirt which seemed to fit her perfectly, the hem ending just below the wrists so it could cover part of her hands from the crisp winter air. "_It matches my eyes…_" she smiled cheerfully. Glancing down to her black skirt, she felt awkward as it came about six inches above the knee, but adored it nevertheless. It was crimped so the inner folds matched the violet color of her shirt, very crafty for her Uncle. Sighing, she picked up the black vest which was the last piece to her outfit and slipped it on, noticing how the shirt was a bit longer so it could hang out of the hem to separate the black of the vest and that of the skirt. She smiled and traced her finger along the intricate design stitched into the cloth with a perfectly colored violet thread, taking the form of some sort of flower.

--------------------------------------------

She sat in the main house, in Joey's room, Akito's former room. She waited patiently, her eyes glued to the floor and her hands folded pleasantly in her lap as she recalled the events of the previous evening. She and Kin had been in the opposite side of the house from where she was now, hiding out in an old room where white dusty sheets covered the extra furniture of the house, a makeshift storage room no doubt. They sat beneath the window, huddled together for warmth as the brisk air crept in through the cracks of the window. A smile played across her lips, the memory of Kin's warm lips against her cold ones, instantly heating her small form in his protective embrace. She felt safe there, from the world, from their family, from Joey…

The young couple stayed in their little sanctuary for as long as they possibly could, which, unfortunately for them, was not long. Soon enough, they heard footsteps in the hall and the sound of doors being opened and closed harshly, in search of young Kohana. She ran from the room silently and slipped passed the man causing the racket while he peered carefully into one of the dark rooms, joining up with her group once more, or what was left of them as most of the families had already ventured home, receiving curious glances and a few questions at where she had gone to. Haru stepped out of the hall Kohana had just escaped from, Kin at his tail. He approached her after doing a double take and whisked her off towards the other end of the house, to Joey's room.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a door slide open and swiftly back closed as if someone were just trying to get a quick glimpse into the room. Kohana lifted her eyes from the floor and saw Joey standing in front of the door beside his desk, a grin stuck on his lips.

"My, don't we look lovely this morning." He pointed out, noticing her new clothing.

"Uncle Ayame made them for me." She stated, "The clothes, that is."

"He did, did he? Does he not also make revealing clothing for women?" he questioned, "I believe he does, in that little shop of his. I'm not sure that is a suitable role model for you, dear 'Hana. Not at all. Two gay lovers as parents? The brother of your father being a homosexual running a women clothing shop for men to shop from at any time? I don't believe to perverted men make suitable parents, especially not for raising what is _mine_…" he spoke darkly, striding over to her and lifting her to her feet.

"T-that is not true, Joey! Ayame is my uncle! He would make a suitable father if he had chosen to take a wife! He would have been like my father!" she exclaimed protectively.

"He would, would he? I suppose dear Uncle Yuki didn't do that bad a job with you." He agreed half-heartedly, lifting his hand to her chin and moving her head to one side gently, examining her face and grinning, "Not a bad job at all…"

She smiled brightly and threw her arms around him, hugging him to her tightly with joy, having heard the Head praise her father, this Head liked him and he appreciated him in some form, unlike the last, Akito. Joey grinned at her gesture, knowing he had pleased her somehow. Of course, being who he was, the son of Shigure and Matsu, probably the most perverted couple on the face of the earth, a whole bunch of their genes had been passed on to their first born, the new Head. He leaned down and pressed his head into her neck, inhaling her fresh scent as if it were a drug of some sorts. He ran his hand up her arm smoothly, lightly tugging on her sleeve to move the collar of her shirt away and pressing his lips onto her soft skin, causing her to shudder and grip onto the back of his shoulders for support as he dug up feelings, emotions, senses she had yet to learn of.

Her uncharacteristic reaction caused his grin to widen, urging him on. He continued to work his lips over her neck as his hand snaked its way up the back of her shirt, resting his fist in the small of her back. She could feel herself melting into him, though she had no idea why any of these strange emotions were suddenly bubbling up inside of her small form. Knowing he had read one too many of his father's novels in secret in the privacy of his room, he knew exactly what he was doing to the poor girl, he knew exactly where it was all heading, and he knew exactly what he wanted.

------------------------------------------

**Author's Note: **Okay, well, this chapter was…confusing...a bit. All of her memories kinda flew into her mind throughout the day, hence the title! XD But, yeah…don't get too scared over the ending, no matter how much of a cliffhanger it is! giggles evilly I will promptly start working on the upcoming chapter, but, yeah, I'm not the kind of writer who plans things out in ahead…so…I tend to altar the story, drastically, as I go along, never quite sticking to the original basic plotline I described in the summary…But…don't hate me! TT **Review!**


	8. Character Map 2

**Character Map (revised!)**

Now, before I pose the next chapter where everything's been sped up, I thought it best to create a revised Character Map, seeing as how all the characters are now in existance, totaling around 27 children and 18 adults, I felt that yet another map be added. In the future, there will probably be a few more revised character maps, depending on how far into their lives I allow the story to travel. Until then, keep an eye out and enjoy! )

**Yuki Sohma & Akako Sohma:**

Kohana (F) 17

Jiro (M) 8

**Shigure Sohma & Matsu Sohma**

Joey (M) 17

Mika (F) 10

Kain (M) 8

Anata (F) 7

Makani (M) 6

Runa (F) 4

Moriko (F) 2

**Kyo Sohma & Tohru Sohma**

Kyru (M) 19

**Momiji Sohma & Yulii Sohma**

Hano (M) 19

Kin (M) 18

Masa (F) 15

Michi (F) 14

Midori & Mamoru (F & M) 8

Ryozo (M) 7

Nara (F) 6

**Haru Sohma & Rin Sohma**

Satoko (F) 14

**Hiro Sohma & Kisa Sohma**

Shino (F) 11

Sumi (F) 10

Taku (M) 9

**Ritsu Sohma & Kagura Sohma**

Rei, Rori & Ren (F, F & F) 17

**Hatori Sohma & Kana Sohma**

Yumiko (F) 18

Yutaka (M) 8

**Ayame Sohma & Kureno Sohma**

(none)

**Akito Sohma**

(Deceased)


End file.
